Notes: these take ages because I'm actual trash who also happens to be busy with life stuff. I have no idea if any of this makes sense please tell me if there's really stupid mistakes, read and review and all that jazz

also if you are still reading this thanks for sticking with it because I think it's now literally been a year since the first chapter and I have done up to about s1e3 so this could take a while and I appreciate it.

"It's a motorcycle."

"Huh?" Sarah replied as she looked up from the computer to see Art standing in front of her.

"Our shooter. They left the scene on a motor cycle, only one set of tracks, and we know what type."

"Good that's… that's good. So give me the info and I'll put out a…" Shit what's it called?

"An APB? Already on it. Told them to call you if it gets any hit." One less thing to worry about.

"Did you get a match on those prints?"

"What? No, 24 hours Beth, you know this."

"Yeah." She breathed with a nod. "We doing this then?"

"You bet your ass."

Remembering the technique that Alison taught her wasn't as hard as Sarah had thought it would be, she only had to be good enough that she wouldn't arouse suspicion, and Beth had been suspended anyway, she was bound to be out of practice. No pressure.

Confidence flowed through her as she easily hit her target, emptying the clip in no time at all.

"Nice" Art lauded as she clicked on the safety. "Good to see you haven't lost your touch."

She was saved from having to reply as her phone sounded, pulling her attention away. She tried to ignore the fact that Art was watching her as she took the call.

"We got a hit on our bike." She said as she turned back towards the range. "We'll head out after this."

'Do we need to call for backup?'

She shook her head. "It's barely worth looking into."

Waking up in unfamiliar surroundings is never a pleasant experience. Beth struggled to sit up as she tried to figure out where she was.

Waking up at all was a surprise, waking up god knows where, that was something else entirely.

'Oh, you're awake.' Beth startled at the voice from the other side of the room. The person in the chair was familiar, if only vaguely, but it didn't offer any comfort. She opened her mouth, trying to talk, needing to figure out, to ask what was going on; but the words kept getting stuck in her throat.

'Water.' She choked out through her cotton mouth. It sounded more like a question than she would have liked, didn't like the way she had to be helped with the water; didn't like the vulnerability she could feel seeping through her pores. Still, the water helped. She gulped it down, savouring the feeling.

'Where am I?' She asked, looking around once more, the proffered cup empty.

'How much do you remember?'

'I…' Beth shook her head. 'I was…' She searched her memory for any clue. They were at Alison's? Maybe. 'I don't…'

'Just get some more rest.' He said with a tight smile 'or Sarah'll kick my arse' she heard him mutter.

Sarah. She was with Sarah? She couldn't see Sarah.

Alison's house.

Sarah.

Sarah's brother.

'You're Sarah's brother.'

'Foster brother, yes.' He said, relieving her of her cup.

She settled back into the pillows, resting more easily now she at least had a grasp of who she was with. Sarah wouldn't leave her with someone she couldn't trust.

It was too important.

Sarah knew that. She was sure of it.

'My Ukrainian's a little rusty.' Sarah laughed as she and Art rounded the building,

The lead on the bike was tenuous at best but tenuous was probably for the best. The whole thing was a shit storm coming their way.

Oh Shit. What is it with these fucking dolls?

The apartment was dark despite the light that shone through the small windows, the smell of damp that could be seen blooming is small patches across the walls and ceilings, filling the air. Shining the light from her small flash light in front of her Sarah trailed behind Art as they moved further into the small space, each of the moving to cover a different section of the room.

Well that can't be good.

'Sarah and I… we found you. We…'

Couldn't risk going to the hospital, Beth finished in her head. 'That still doesn't explain where I am.' She looked around the loft, trying once again to see if she had missed Sarah in the limited space. 'And where did you say Sarah was again?' If Sarah was there everything would be okay. For a while at least.

'Chase after them! Go! GO!'

The gunshot still echoing in her minds she set off on shaky feet. Barely registering her actions as she chased after the green coat.

Fuck! Where are they?

'You don't need to babysit me dipshit.' That sounded like something Beth'd say, right? Sarah raised her hand to the wound on the back of her head, pressing the ice they'd give her against it gingerly. 'I'll be fine.'

'You're sure you can't tell us anything else.'

She shook her head. 'Attacked me from behind. Never got a good look at him.'

Art exhaled loudly. 'You get some rest.

Beth couldn't say when she'd fallen back to sleep, but she was roused by the noise of soft voices from the previously vacant space beside her. She concentrated on keeping her breathing steady. In. Out. In. Out. As she tried to keep the waking tension from the muscles in her back and shoulders.

'Are you sure you're okay, Sarah?'

'I'm fine, Fe' Sarah's voiced sounded from beside her and she felt the tension drain from her once again. Sarah was there. She was back.

The silence that followed the statement hung in the air for a moment until she felt a hand ghost over her harm. ' How's she been doing?'

'She woke up." Felix said. ' If that's what you mean.'

'We should have taken her to the hospital.' She sounded so tired.

'You know we couldn't.'

'She could've…'

'Sarah.' Felix interjected. 'She's fine. She's gonna be fine.'

'Yeah' Sarah said as she settled further into bed 'yeah.'

'You sure you're going to be okay if I go out?'

'I'm fine, Fe.'

The voices trailed off and the tell-tale rumble of the door signalled Felix's departure until the soft sound of their breathing was the only sound that filled the air. Sarah shuffled in the space next to her on the bed. Turning towards her, finally opening her eyes, Beth wasn't prepared for the closeness of Sarah's face next to hers. She looked peaceful in her near sleep, innocent. Like Beth hadn't forced the weight of the world onto her shoulders.

'Hey.' She said, watching as

'Hey.' Sarah exhaled as her eyes fluttered open, her breath tickling Beth's face as she spoke.

They lay there, watching one another in the near dark of the loft, neither of them speaking until they drifted off to sleep.

The other side of the bed was still occupied when she woke. She was sure that Sarah would be gone, that she was some figment of her imagination, a guardian who would disappear in the light of day. But there she was. Beth lay on her side, watching the rise and fall of her chest as she slept. Sarah was there. She was there and she was real, so real.

She didn't know how long she lay there, just watching the other woman sleep. She was sure she couldn't look like that when she slept. Like she was something good. Like she belonged.

'Morning.' She felt a small smile tug at her lips at the sound of Sarah's voice, rough with sleep as she turned towards Beth on the bed until their position mirrored the one from the night before.

'Morning.' She replied as she raised her eyes to meet Sarah's. They were close, so close Beth could see the speckled flecks of colour, warm browns and golds inviting her in.

'You're okay.' Sarah smiled, as she pushed Beth's hair behind her ear, her relief palpable. Beth closed her eyes at the contact as Sarah's hand came to rest on her arm, thumb stroking comforting circles, skin burning at the touch. She was real.

'It's one of us.' Sarah said, her voice no more than a whisper. Beth's brow furrowed in confusion at Sarah's words, 'It's one of us that's… They're killing us, Beth.' Beth exhaled, her breath shaky. She nodded slightly as she lowered her eyes, moving closer to Sarah, her own hand coming to rest at Sarah's side. She'd been afraid of that. 'She's coming after you. She…' Sarah's voice caught. 'She would have killed you.'

Beth watched as the hand that had been resting on her arm stroked a slow path upwards. Sarah's hand caught her underneath her chin, tipping her head back up so their eyes could meet. 'I'm not going to let her hurt you.'

Beth's breath caught in her throat at the strength of Sarah's conviction. Of how safe it made her feel. Beth had come to terms with the reality of her own mortality, had confronted it, embraced it. She wasn't afraid to die. But looking at Sarah, relishing the touch of her hand still lightly grasping her face, she had something, someone to hold on for. Grasp on to.

For now, at least.

How could someone lose this much blood and still be alive?

How was she still alive?

I didn't kill her.

The lake of blood that pooled on the bathroom floor almost made her gag. She'd done this. She'd stabbed the psycho with her face. The blood that stained the sink, the floor, even the walls. She'd brought this upon them.

Why me?

Meeting Beth, being Beth had caused her more trouble than she could have ever imagined. But there was no going back. Beth needed her. The look in her eye, the way her hand had tightened ever so slightly on her waist as she'd tried to leave her that morning; they were in it together now. Whatever that may bring.

'She looked like Beth?' Art's voice rung through the room. 'Is that possible?' Art asked 'Could they have been a woman. '

Sarah made her way towards their young witness, hoping that a believable look of confusion adorned her face. 'I guess?' she shrugged. 'I never saw their face.'

Sarah knelt down, bringing herself to the boy's eye-level.

'I'm not her.' She said, trying to quell the frightened look in his eye. He was just a kid, no older than Kira and she'd put that look in his eye. She'd caused this. She scanned the boy's face looking for any signs of distress, she hadn't appeared to harm him physically; that's something at least.

'She said you'd come.'

Of course she did.

When she awoke once more she was alone. A note replacing Sarah on the pillow next to her. A hollow comfort.

'Had to go out for a bit. Back soon.'

Soon?

The word reverberated around Beth's head, the relative ambiguity of it providing little comfort when it could just as soon mean an hour or a day. But as much as she hated it, it was a promise she could hold her to.

Soon.

For the first time since she'd been brought to the loft, Beth climbed out of the bed. Unsteady on her feet she made her way across the floor looking for the bathroom. She noted the presence of Sarah's brother asleep on the couch in the middle of the room.

Not so alone then. At least he wasn't awake to force her back to bed.

Bending over the small basin she splashed some cold water over her face. She looked like death. In her reflection in the small mirror above the sink she could see the sunken shadows below her eyes, but she guessed that's what happened when you almost die.

'You shouldn't be out of bed.'

She startled. Turning towards the voice, shrugging. 'I needed the bathroom.'

Felix arm crossed his stomach, his eyebrow raising as he took her in. She could see the concern etched into his features and she couldn't help but wonder why he cared.

Beth's brow furrowed at the comment. 'I said some of that out loud, didn't I?' she said running a hand through her hair.

He nodded.

'Because Sarah does.' Felix answered after a moment. 'Now get to bed before you collapse. I'm not picking you up.' His tone was flippant but she could feel the weight of his borrowed concern settle over her. She obeyed without argument, fatigue making her limbs heavy a she laid back down. Sarah would be back soon.